while bitcoin etfs might offer a familiar face, they lack the true ownership and flexibility of directly investing in bitcoin. with itrustcapital you can buy and sell real bitcoin 24/ 7 with the tax advantages of an ira. real bitcoin means no middleman, no restricted stock market hours. choose the path of direct bitcoin investment with itrustcapital because access equals opportunity. invest in bitcoin at itrustcapital.com today. ♪ chocolate fundraiser. with the chase mobile app, things move a little more smoothly. ♪ deposit checks easily and send money quickly. ♪ that's convenience from chase. ♪ david: hello, everyone, and welcome to a special edition of "kudlow." i'm david asman in for larry kudlow. well, the clock is ticking for

federal workers after elon musk delivered an ultimatum over the weekend requiring the federal work force to reply with five bullet points of exactly what they've accomplished just in the last week. and if they don't respond, they risk losing their jobs. deadline is tonight at midnight, but some agencies appear to be trying to overrule doge. we're going to be talking about that and much more with ohio congressman jim jordan in just a moment. plus, former secretary of state mike pompeo joins me on set with the latest on president trump's peace talks with russia a and his plans to get payback for tax a payers there if all those billions going to to ukraine. but first, our very own hillary vaughn is live from capitol hill with the latest on what's going on with doge and their attempts to define exactly what the work force does for us. hillary. >> reporter: hi, david. well, some federal worker unions are so upset by this e-mail request asking them to explain what they did last week that they are suing if in federal

court over it hoping that a judge rules that it is illegal for the federal government to require a response to an e-mail or face termination. but president trump today says he thinks the idea is, quote, genius. >> we're trying to find out if people are working, and so we're sending a letter the people, please, tell us what you did last week. if people don't respond, it's very possible that there is no such person or they're not working. if you don't answer, like, you're sort of semi-fired or you're fired, because a lot of people are not answering because they don't even exist. >> reporter: musk says he's already received a large number of responses and says those people should be considered for a promotion. but musk says this is more about a proof of life saying, quote, in some cases we believe nonexistent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. in other words, there is outright fraud. but democrats are offended that anyone dare ask federal workers what they a did last week.

people who work for americans, whose paychecks are paid for by american taxpayers. democratic senator tina myth saying if you're surprised people are pissed, you need to get out of your d.c. bubble. nothing more american than hating a bad boss, especially an illegitimate one like musk. >> imagine that you got this e-mail tomorrow from your boss' boss' boss' boss' boss who knows nothing about what you do. tim cook sending that e-mail to every single ap aing store employee -- apple store employee. >> reporter: but not all a democrats think this is a crazy request. senator mark warner tweeting moments ago that it's not nuts to ask federal workers what they've been up to. hes asks his staff to do weekly check-ins detailing what they're working on, but senator warner says he doesn't agree with the way elon musk is going about it. he doesn't think it's practical to get all these e-mails back,

he doesn't think anyone's going to read them. david? david: at least good for him for demanding some payback for the taxpayers. we're the ones paying -- >> reporter: we are the bosses, right, david? david: exactly. federal unions don't seem to get that one. hillary, thank you very much. joining me -- me now is ohio congressman jim jordan, chairman of the judiciary committee. i would love to see this attitude any place in the private sector. and, by the way, these people are not getting paid minimum salary. we're talking about the average a federal worker's annual salary and benefits is $144,000, and they're objecting to toing being asked -- to being asked just five little things they may have done last week in are you kidding me? >> how dare the president of the united states tell people to come back and work in person and tell us what you do. i mean, that's all this is. and yet, oh, my -- you would think this is something you can never do. how dare they ask that. this is how out of touch, i think you had someone on

earlier, this is how out of touch this town is with the common sense of regular americans across this great country. and and when i talk with folks, they're fired up about it. they like what a president trump and elon musk are doing. they like the fact that there's a focus on you work for the taxpayer. if you're not showing up to work, if you think you can work remote and not tell us what you do all week, that's not going to fly any longer. god bless these guys for doing what they're doing. david: again, in the private sector, i was just talking to martha maccallum about it, in the private sector you ask somebody what they're doing, an employee would love to tell you what he's doing. he loves to be not just for bragging brights, but to get -- right, but to to be appreciated. in the bureaucracy it's not about what you do, it's how you can avoid doing anything at all. [laughter] i mean, that is the nature -- i understand i'm going to get letters from all these federal employees saying what we do is so important. i understand there are people that a really do work, but there are a lot of people who don't. and if they can't name five damn

thicks that they do for us -- things that they door if us -- do for us, i don't think they should be here, do you? >> i met with a member of the european if parliament today. i met with our personal staff, what's gown on in our district, i met with our committee staff. we've got four hearings this week, just got done with a meeting of the -- republican chairman in the house of representatives, you can go through, there's all these kind of things you're involved in. if you can't name what you're doing, maybe it's because you're not doing much and not serving the taxpayers like you're supposed to? david: elon musk and doge are saving taxpayers billions of dollars already, and they're going to continue to do so. we're going to to talk about the court battles to stop them from doing that in a moment, but there are certain people, you know, there's this idea that if he gets to $2 trillion in savings, we should cut a $5,000 check to every taxpayer in the united states which seems -- at first i was kind of wobbly about maybe it should go to pay down the debt.

but no, no, no, americans deserve to get payback right now. that's what they need. they want 5,000 -- but here's what -- >> it's their money! it's their money. david: congresswoman crockett came out with one of the most outrageous things i've ever seen. i'm going to play that and get your reaction. roll it. >> we are not in the business of giving out money. and, honestly,. i don't know what $5,000 will do for you if you are unable to find a job, because i am telling people we are headed towards a version. david: first of all -- a recession is. first of all, it ain't your money, congresswoman, it's our money, and we should be able to decide how it goes to good use. frankly, it'd be a lot of good use knew people's pockets -- use in people's pockets. $5,000 is a lot of dollars to the average american. maybe not to somebody who's making her samly and benefits -- salary and benefits and perhaps trading stocks on the side, but for the average american, it's a lot of money. go ahead.

>> you're exactly right. the money belongs to the people, the families of this great country. it's their money, it's not the government's -- biggest difference between conservatives and the left is the left thinks the government has all the control, the bureaucrats should run everything and we control the money. it's our money. no, no, no, it longs -- belongs to the families and taxpayer withs, and i'm for doing both. if we achievement and the savings that a we're setting outed to do, $2 trillion as elon has talked about as a target, give some of the money back to their people, and then we do have this deficit and huge debt filing -- piling up, let's use some for that. but certainly, give some money back to the american people. after all, it's their money. david: congressman, all of these lawsuits, i tell you, they look for all the world, to me, like the lawfare we saw saw in months and years past against donald trump or and other efforts by the american people to get what they want, to get what they voted for. is that the way it looks like to you? if because it looks like lawfare to me and a lot of other people.

>> no, this is the left. i mean, i say the left and the democrats, instead of stopping, helping us stop the stupid spending that's going on that elon musk has shown, they go after the guy who's exposing the stupid spending. they want it to continue. most of these, you know, the left lives off a big government whether it's an organization getting a grant are from them or just the bureaucracy itself. so they're going to oppose this. i say applaud the guy who's exposing the stupid spending. no, no, the left is going to attack the guy exposing the things the money's going to. we have to make sure this happens. what he's identified, two make sure that no longer happens as we move forward in the appropriations process. said david one of the argument as, and we hear it echoed in the media echo chamber by a lot of media elites is that elon musk is, has not been -- first of all, he doesn't have to be confirmed. he's an outsider, an outsider

shouldn't be allowed to do the work he's doing, gain access to the file, the money trails, etc. the last president was essentially run by senior advisers who were never confirmed or voted on. first of all, it's terribly hypocritical to suggest that, but i don't think that's going to the hold any water with the supreme court, do you? >> no. i mean, hook -- look, this, again, is a fundamental difference. president trump put his name on the ballot. when he ran for the position of executive, the president of the united states, he put his name on the ballot. he got elected. during the campaign he said he was going to create this doge department, elon musk was going to run it. it was cheer what was going to happen. -- clear what was going to happen. and we the people, 77 million of us, said we want that model. it's consistent with article ii of our constitution. and now that he's implementing it, the people on the left who think dr. fauci and all the unelected people are smarter than the rest of us, that they

should have the power knotts which is not according to the constitution. i'm actually with the guy we, the people, put in charge, not with the bureaucrats who think they're smarter than david asman, jim jordan and all your viewers. that is b.s. is. so that is the fundamental fight, and we have got to win this if we're going to protect freedom and liberty moving forward. david: right on. i agree with you on that. let me quickly talk about the senate if bill that they're coming on their own with and, frankly, you know, you guys in the house are doing what the president want, one big, beautiful bill. putting that together which includes the tax extensions. again, if they are not extended before december 31st of this year, we will have one of the biggest tax increases in history which means you guys will lose criminal of the house, the senators will lose control of the senate, and the president will be a lame duck for his last two years. so you don't want that to happen. senator johnson came out with an idea because their bill, the senate bill's all about spending. it's in the about tax decreases,

it's not about a keeping taxes low, it's about spending more money. here's what senator johnson said about what the senate should be doing. listen. >> i'd be happy to just extend current, the current tax code to make sure we take a massive automatic a tax increase off the table and then start working on what is far more complex, you know, no tax on tips, those types of things. that that's just a far more complex package to put together. david: so why doesn't the senate at least do that, just extend the current tax code, that way -- and maybe later on you can put in what the president wants to add in, the no tax for tips, all the other things. but just make sure that the deadline doesn't pass and we get this huge tax increase. >> no, i -- look, i'm for one bill, two bills, three bills, whatever, i'm for what senator johnson, smart guy, good friend and i think an outstanding senator. if that concept and plan works, i'm for that too. i'm just for doing what we told

the voters we were going to do, what they they elected us to do. the budget resolution that's coming out of the house budget committee and slated to be voted on tomorrow, it cuts taxes, it helps -- cuts spending, it defends the border. sounds like we're being republicans. frankly, we're still working on getting the votes in the house. so if we can't, then you've kind of got to wreak it up. senator johnson's plan, i think, would be just fine too. but what we've got to do is what we told the voters we were going to do. that's what president trump and elon musk are doing. let's make sure the house and the senate do the same. david: very quickly, i'm way over time, but could the blue state republicans, the ones who want to see the cap lifted on the state and local taxes, the s.a.l.t. tax deductions, they want to see a big change in the tax system is, would they be satisfied with just extending the tax cuts and then waiting for another bill eventually in yore two or three?

>> yeah. and i think you've cut to the chase. that's the real question because in some ways they view it as leverage to get what they need for their constituents, some relief on the s.a.l.t. issue. again, that's why we focused on one bill where you can put all those different, you know, competing in some cases positions together and come up with a bill that's consistent with what we told the voters we were going to do and good for the country. ca. david: jim jordan, you're the best. thank you very much for being here. coming up, is president trump moving europe to the right, and will the europeans just get out of their own way and let him negotiate peace in ukraine? we're going to be asking former secretary of state mike pompeo with. he's right here on set when "kudlow" continues. ♪ wave hello to zane. he's king of the... ping. for every 1 sentence spoken on a call,

he has 3 comments 2 memes and 4 emojis to contribute. a flood of positivity... during every. single. meeting. but oh how his passion for product management takes your team from level zero to level... zane. you need zane. zane needs benefits. work with principal so we can help you help zane with a retirement and benefits plan that's right for him. let our expertise round out yours. (psst psst) ahhhh... with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary spraying flonase daily gives you long-lasting, non-drowsy relief. (psst psst) flonase. all good. you might know harbor freight for affordability. you might not know performance and durability go along with it. we test. and then we test again. now it's time to put us to the test. whatever you do, do it for less at harbor freight. (♪) louis! okay everybody, that's lunch! (♪)

mud mask? (♪)

congratulations. here are the keys. congratulations. here's the water heater that somehow passed inspection but will definitely flood your basement. -wait. -congratulations. here's your first year's supply of nitrogen fertilizer. remember, not too little or too much or you'll kill your lawn. -okay. -congratulations. here's progressive's homequote explorer. -uh-oh. -you're good. you can quickly compare insurance options and find the right coverage even if it's not with us. what's the bad news? [ indistinct conversations ] i skipped the line.

you think those phone guys will ever figure out how to keep 5g home internet from slowing down during peak hours?

their customers have to share a wireless signal with everyone in their area. oooh. you know, it's kinda like when you bring a really big cake for your birthday, and then there's only a little, tiny sliver left for the birthday girl. aw. well, wish her a happy birthday. happy birthday... -it's... ...to her. -no, it's me. have your cake and eat it, too. don't settle for t-mobile or verizon 5g home internet. get super fast xfinity internet you don't have to share. forty's going to be my year. david: well, president trump hosted french president emmanuel macron at the white house today as e.u. leaders continue to resist trump's plan to negotiate a russia-ukraine peace deal. our very own edward lawrence is live from the white house, and things got a little testy today, edward. >> reporter: it did a little bit with a little bit of fact checking from emmanuel macron. he seemed put off by some of the things president trump was saying. i can tell you tariffs and the ukraine brought the european

union as well as emmanuel macron, the french president, here to the white house. we just it should a lengthy news conference between the two world leaders. ma that caron understands the reciprocal tariffs that president trump wants to put in place, president trump saying he's moving forward with those tariffs on the e.u., mexico and canada. >> all we want is reciprocal. we want reciprocity. we want to have the same. to if somebody charges us, we charge them, it's very simple. but it'll be very good for our country. our country will be extremely liquid and rich again. >> reporter: so president donald trump serious about leveling the trade playing field. that a deadline for the european union, april 2nd, saturday, for mexico and canada. when it comes to ukraine, president trump saying we're close to an agreement over rare earth minerals and energy in ukraine, adding president zelenskyy will be here this week or next week. french president macron says europe is willing to step up and be a partner on ukraine. president trump pointing out that the u.s. contributed three

times as much money as europe did in ukraine. >> the fact is there is a recognition of grand sovereignty, a recognition of the ukrainian interests, and this is de facto a very important alignment of interests. now the security guarantees will be negotiated in due time in a package of peace and security. >> reporter: president trump saying it would be european troops on the ground in ukraine once a peace deal is signed, no american troops would be involved in that a peace peace-keeping process. david: thank goodness for that. edward, thank you very much. let's bring in mike pompeo, of course, the former secretary of state and a fox news contributor. great to see you. thanks for being here. let's start with ukraine. steve steve witkoff, who's been the envoy for the president both for the mideast and ukraine, i mean, he's been a busy guy, essentially an ad a hock secretary of state, if you will -- ad a hock, but he's getting blamed now for not directly blaming russia for the

ukraine invasion is. now, obviously, ladies and gentlemen, obviously russia's to blame for invading ukraine. i can say it, you can say it. but the man in the middle of the negotiations can't. he's trying to negotiate an almost impossible peace deal, but they seem to care more about virtue signaling than they do about snooping -- stopping a conflict that's caused a million casualties. >> look, i think that's mostly right. moral charity does matter, so we have to speak to that. but when you're in the middle of a very complexer multifaceted -- by the way, the europeans are in different places, not just one view in europe. the ukrainians, the russians, the american interests, that is a complex system. and the best things are done quietly. those negotiations take place in private amongst the parties where you exchange ideas about what's possible, how do you actually get the shared vision of bringing more peace, more prosperity, ensuring that

ukrainian sovereignty is protected. it's something i'm less concerned about what people say out loud and more importantly that they're working to achieve that objective the -- david: there's another objective, of course, which goes beyond ukraine and russia's interests, and that's the interest to of the american taxpayer. obviously, we're not going to get all of the money back that we paid. they paid with their lives dearly for the russian invasion, but taxpayers deserve some kind of, some kind of assurance that it's not just going to be a black hole in which all of our money goes while people are getting killed by the hundreds of thousands in yaron. if -- in ukraine. what about this mineral deal? is that a way of getting some of our money back? >> i think it's even better than that for ukraine and for the united states of america. i think having american companies invest their private money to rebuild some piece of the ukrainian economy and the united states companies, shareholders to benefit from that is an enormously good outcome for ukraine. we talk about security. one of the best ways to ensure

that is to ensure they have a robust, thriving economy in the aftermath of this war so that a they can do the things they need to do to rebuild their own nation and protect themselves in the years ahead. david: which leads us directly to the middle east and to the president's very unique way of thinking about how the deal with gaza. like, getting his developer instincts in motion and thinking that maybe we need to resettle people until we can for example up gazaing turn it into a -- gaza, turn it into a paradise on the mediterranean and then get the gauze sans back in. what do you make of that? >> look, we need to stretch the imagination of the possible, and i think that's what president trump did when he talked about this. look, we have to have a solution that is different from the way this has rolled for an awfully long time. if we can forget out a way to complete lie lie eliminate the terrorist threat for israelis and so mama that americans don't have to risk their lives there, if we can get that right in not just gaza, but in lebanon, in

wen syria, if -- western syria, if we can get the security system right, perhaps there'll be a brighter, more prosperous day for -- david: i have talked to arabs who think of ethnic cleansing and ideas that are so hard in the past and think if the gazaens are moved out, they'll never be able to be moved back in again, what kind of assurance could there be to our arab a partners that won't happen? >> i think the gulf arab states are going to have to lead that that effort. they need to come up with a solution whether it involves bringing them back or just moving them inside of gaza, doing the rebuilding from north north to south or south to north, it's their turn to say here's how this is going to be paid for and how we're going to deliver that in a way that is fundamentally decent but doesn't repeat past history. that's the tragedy we've all suffered for 40-odd years now. david: the key is, as you said, getting the arab as directly involved maybe with the palestinian authority off the

middle ground, of course, something john kerry said could never be done -- [laughter] >> the three nos. yes, exactly. david: and extending the abraham accords would be vital a with two goals, one, that hamas never get back in control of gaza and, two, that iran -- which is behind so much of the mischief whether in lebanon or gaza, funding hamas and hezbollah -- making sure they don't get a nuclear weapon. those two goals are unnegotiable, correct? >> unnegotiable, totally achievable, and is we should draw back to what we were just saying in ukraine. don't forget, the iranians and russians have a deep set of ties. to the extent we get a good outcome in ukraine, not the failed outcome that we had in afghanistan when president biden allowed that that calamity to take place, to the extent we get a good, solid outcome there, we increase the probability we can get a really good outcome for the gulf, the israelis and for the united states and the middle east. david: i wasn't planning on asking you about afghanistan,

but my son served there as a marine, and so many were so upset at the way the withdrawal happened. having set up a plan for withdrawal, which you did in the first trump term, what did you think of when you saw that catastrophic withdrawal in -- withdrawal? >> unnecessary, didn't have to happen. those are my if first thoughts. to those who served there, as the cia director, i saw the enormous if number of american lives they saved by taking down terror plots from that a place, so i want to thank them for the work they did. i get how disheartening that was to watch that fall that way, but their work was noble, decent and important. we could have gotten it right. president trump was on the trajectory to get it right, and then president biden came in and just pulled the pin. david: i'm also hearkening back to your days as secretary of state. did you see -- thinking about panama and the recent charges that the president and others have leveled against china's influence there, did you see the beginning of that influence when you were secretary of state?

>> undoubtedly. no, the chinese communist party is running too fast and free in that place. the rest of panama's not going to handle that in the way that's consistent with the treaty obligations. i'm glad president trump and secretary rubio are taking that on. david: david they're not exaggerating the chinese influence? >> not one bit. the risk is real. david: great to see you, appreciate it. coming up, democrats and the media have a new line of attack on doge. get this, they're upset that elon elon musk is defunding sesame street in iraq. truly, they are. we're going to be talking about it with steve moore and james fishback coming next. ♪ (♪) the road to opportunity. is often the road overlooked. (♪) at enterprise mobility, we guide companies to unique solutions, from our team of mobility experts.

because we believe the more ways we all have to move forward. the further we'll all go. (woman 1) eczema... isn't always obvious. (woman 2) eczema isn't always red. (boy) but now eczema isn't always going to stop you... with ebglyss. ♪ (vo) ebglyss is a once-monthly treatment to help those with moderate-to-severe eczema find real itch relief and real results. (woman 3) like skin that's still more clear at 1 year. (vo) don't use if you're allergic to ebglyss. allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. eye problems can occur.

tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. you should not receive a live vaccine when treated with ebglyss. before starting ebglyss tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. (boy) skin that's still more clear even at 1 year? clearly it's possible... with ebglyss. (vo) talk to your doctor about ebglyss for eczema. join thousands of advertisers who have built their businesses,

reaching america's most influential audience. need creative? we can help. fox news media impact starts here. advertise with us today.

(fisher investments) at fisher investments we may look like other money managers, but we're different. (other money manager) how so?

(fisher investments) we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client'' best interest. (fisher investments) so we don't sell any commission-based products. (other money manager) then how do you make money? (fisher investments) we have a simple management fee, structured so we do better when our clients do better. (other money manager) your clients really come first then, huh? fisher investments: yes. we make them a top priority, by getting to know their finances, family, health, lifestyle and more. (other money manager) wow, maybe we are different. (fisher investments) at fisher investments, we're clearly different. david: so why are democrats so against cutting wasteful government spending? joining me now is james fishback ask steve moore, host of "moore money" on wabc radio and

co-author of "the the trump economic miracle," with a guy named art laffer. we thank you both for coming. james, you had a wonderful debate with a cnn host over the value of funding a sesame street in iraq as a means of claiming to use of the power -- soft power. of this was aid money. here's the the exchange, and he's sort of defending soft power and then you come in. roll it. >> the coinage of the word soft power, you know, you'd rather spend on that than bullets. but, wait -- >> there was a terrorist attack in iraq last month that killed 40 people. it's clearly not working. soft power is and sesame street are not working -- >> maybe, come on, listen to me -- david: big bird and elmo aren't helping. it's really that simple. if you want to kill terrorists, you can't use soft power to do it, right if. >> that's exactly right, david. and the funny thing about that a little debate on cnn was moments

later he argued that we have the money for big bird in iraq, but don't have the money for president trump sending a tax refund check to hard working americans -- david: exactly. >> -- after doge has exposed the waste, fraud and abuse. it's time to pass the doge dividend proud. i'm proud that -- doge dividend. i'm proud that president trump and elon support it. david: i agree. steve, what we've seen with doge is illustrative of a big difference between the biden biden administration and this one and apple's announcement today that they were planning to invest $500 billion not with any subsidies from the u.s. government, just incentives, tax incentives and regulatory incentives, to put private capital at a risk, not put the taxpayer at risk. like, by the way, we did with the chips act, the $2800 billion chips -- $280 billion chips act which not only cost a rot of money, but it didn't really help. a lot of money. after intel, which was one of the largest recipients of that

money, i think they got over $7 billion in funds and guaranteed loans, they went right down. they went down so far, they lost their spot on the dow jones industrial the average. >> well, yeah,. david: david. corporate welfare never if worked. -- never works. if you want to destroy an industry, subsidize it with government funds. we should have learned that by now with the wind and and solar industry. over the last 30 years, over a trillion dollars into it, and it's no somewhere. it -- nowhere. it hasn't answer advanced at all. the whole approach that donald trump has brought to the white house, or i should say brought back to the white house, is let private capital markets do it. we are the richest and most powerful economy in the world because we have these amazingly strong capital markets that direct capital to the highest, best usage. government, politicians are really bad at that that, david. [laughter] they can't pick winners and

losers. well, they do, they pick losers over and over again. i love the apple story. think about how many jobs are going to be created by that -- david: oh, absolutely. absolutely are. and not only up front, but very often there's a back cost of this government-funded welfare which is to corporations, which is that the companies go bankrupt and they need a bailout by the taxpayer. so not only is the taxpayer in on the front en, they have to to bail out these companies. and, james, the other point is that they really do more damage than good, a lot of these companies. and you mentioned, of course, you know, running cartoons in iraq doesn't do anything to get rid of the terrorists. but more than that, sometimes we're actually giving advice that sends other economies and other people, makes certain people filthy rich, a lot of those foreign leaders that are taking the aid money and putting it in their pockets, not to mention the people here like aid ad a morers and stuff who may be

lining their pocks as well. it's a big neck -- pockets as well. it's a big negative when the government gets involved. >> think about the it, our roads and bridges in america are crumbling, we have seniors and veterans who are being denied health care all while at the same time we're funding a transgender opera in colombia and a dei musical in burma. it's pathetic. what president trump has exposed with doge over the past month if is just the beginning, and that's why the doge dividend really calls for rest constitution. americans sent their money to washington, d.c. to be spent in america, not to be spent in fallujah or in bogota. so restitution is overdue, and that's what a this plan calls for. david: so, steve -- >> can i just add one thing to that, david? david: go ahead. >> you guys -- well, you're not in washington, you're in new york, but people are running around the city like their hair is on fire -- [laughter] because donald trump and elon musk are saying you have to tell your superior officer, you know,

what you did this week. david: yeah, yeah. >> tell us five things you did this week to help, and, you know, the fact that they're forcing people to go back to work, to be the on the job. people, the federal employees are indignant about this. david: yeah, yeah. >> there's an attitude that they're some kind of special class of people -- a. david: well, that's what happens. bureaucracies is have ended up this way going back centuries -- >> exactly. david: but, steve, it leads me to the question of whether we can get rid of some of these whole bureaucracy ises, department of education, commerce if department, hud, housing and urban development. that hasn't worked out so well. epa. i mean, we see if lee zeldin that $20 billion slush fund that was going to cronies that were still in the administration, setting up a little savings bank for them on the side when they leave office. i mean, can we get rid of entire agencies? i know that's what the president has in the back of his mind. >> well, we've tried to do that for so long, but one % example

of manager -- perfect example of something trump favors, we spend about $100 billion a year on the department of education. how about if we just gave that money to parents, low income parents, to choose the best schools for their kids? i mean, you would help millions of parents, and you could get rid of a whole bureau rock city. why do we need these middlemen in washington to do it? washington, d.c. doesn't help anybody in toledo, ohio, in a crappy cool. david: james, you've only got about 20 seconds, but those curtains have been pulled back. people can't unsee what they're beginning to see, and they're going to see a lot more, so maybe there will be enough evidence so we can get rid of the department of ed and other agencies that have made things worse, not were the. >> -- not better. >> that's exactly right. president trump won on the basis of major with government reform and, boy, is he delivering. the american people are proud whether you're in toledo, east palestine or east baltimore. it's time to send the power back

to the states and her people. david: steve moore, james fishback, great to see you, gentlemen. appreciate it. now that kash patel has been sworn in as president trump's fbi director, one of the most -- what are the most important issues he needs to focus on? joining me now is tennessee senator marsha blackburn. i know you must be pretty happy that that a kash made it, but where does he start, marsha? >> oh, and, david, it was so exciting to be over at the white house with him when he was sworn in. and i know that the fbi is going to benefit by having kash patel and dan bongino there running the agency. the first place to start so to go for accountability and transparency. that is what the american people are wanting to see. they want an end to this two tiers of justice. and, of course, my item on his

early to-do list is the make certain that the epstein files are released. we need to know who participated with jeffrey epstein in building this global human trafficking, sex trafficking network. david: what about lawfare? i know most of that is concerning the department of justice itself, but the fbi is involved in a lot of investigations. we saw how they were acting as a rogue agency, if in particular there was one fbi agent himself who made up stuff in order to get a fisa a warrant. how can we, how can we really stop the fbi or hold the fbi accountable when any of their investigations deal with political figures? >> well, and this is why you want to end that two tiers of of justice and root out the politicization that has taken place in that agent i. and kash patel has said -- agency. and kash patel has a said that he was going to do that, and i have no doubt that he will.

it is important to president trump to end those two tiers and to to end that that lawfare. people do not want to see federal government agencies weaponized against political opponents or against their neighbors or even against citizens that are out and about a and speaking on an issue like parents that are concerned about school or pro-lifers that are out trying to defend life. and making certain that that weaponization has ended, that needs to happen. david: well, there's going to be transparency at the very least, and that would lead to questioning what do we do about the fisa a courts themselves. should they exist. but that's -- i want to switch quickly to the defense department and secretary of defense pete hegseth. he's being criticized for getting rid of too many folks

who know the most about how the pentagon operates, and he's looking like an amateur, etc. you know the deal against pete hegseth and what he's doing. what do you think about a his job, and how does he go about doing it in. >> pete hegseth is doing a commendable job. and president trump was is wise -- was so wise to choose a cabinet that had experience in fields, but they were kind of outside of the box. they had other experience other than military, or they had worked in the private sector not just in government. these are the nominees that president trump is bringing forward. what you're seeing from pete hegseth is saying, look, there is a new way to do things, a better way, a more responsive way to the american people. there is are a way -- there is a way to provide better treatment for our men and women in

uniform. and in tennessee i talk to people that are active duty, i talk to people that are with the national guard, i talk to our veterans. they are very pleased -- david: yeah, absolutely. >> -- with the job that pete hegseth is doing. they are very pleased that he is bringing transparency and accountability to the department of defense. david: and it means a lot that his boots were on the ground in some of these places where they send our soldiers and our troops. >> yes. david: and that's so important to the folks, particularly the veterans who look at what's happening there. marsha blackburn, great to see you, senator. >> good to see you. david: much appreciated. coming up, europe is in a panic over president trump's new world order. we're going to be talking about it with rich lowry and the great miranda devine. that's next. ♪ if —hi! —hi! ♪ chocolate fundraiser. ♪

with the chase mobile app, things move a little more smoothly. ♪ deposit checks easily and send money quickly. [coins clinking] ♪ that's convenience from chase. make more of what's yours. after careful review of medical guidance and research on pain relief, my recommendation is simple: every home should have salonpas. powerful yet non-addictive. targeted and long-lasting. i recommend salonpas. it's good medicine. ♪ hisamitsu ♪

enjoy your risk-free trial. ♪ hello, can you hear me? — i sure can! ♪ did you hear about our state-certified hearing care professionals? our experts take the time to get to know you and your hearing needs. ♪ call 1-800-9773322 now. everybody hear me?

i sure can! ♪ did you hear about our smallest and rechargeable hearing aids? ♪ they're nearly invisible and comfortable to wear. try risk free, call 1-800-9773322. — can you hear me? — i sure can! ♪ so, can you hear well? i sure can! did you hear about our lifetime of aftercare? every hearing aid comes with a lifetime of free checkups, free cleanings, and free adjustments. [bird chirps] [man whistles] book today. call 1-800-9773322.

>> -- will france support the u.s. being compensated? somewhere i support the idea of ukraine, first, being compensated. second is, all of those paid for but not by yairng by russia, because it was the one to aggress. >> again, just so you understand, europe is loaning the money to ukraine. they get their money back. >> new york in fact, to be frane

frank we paid 60% of the total -- >> if you believe that, it's okay with me. but they get their money back. we don't. and now we do. but, you know, that's only fair. david: a little joust ising there in the meeting between macron and trump. joining us now is rich lowry and miranda devine. new york post columnist and fox news contributor. rich, you actually wrote about what's happening in europe, but it was wonderful to see in this little jousting between macron and trump. i wonder, i mean, i loved it. i wonder if europeans are getting their back up a little, the conservative europeans, about the things that that they oppose whether it's immigration or the green energy spending or a whole host of issues that that we are turning around here. >> yeah. well, macron and the french have talked this big with game about we need an independent european defense identity, we need our own independent army. if you're going to do that, you

actually need troops and howitzers and shells and airplanes and aircraft carriers, and they built none of that. germany, particularly, is a disgrace. they used to have a serious army, liquidated after the cold war, and they've been depending on us. this is slowly changing, but it's going to the change even more under pressure from donald trump. david: miranda, i'm sure the eurocrats who feel themselves losing control now, the control that was so emphasized during the pandemic, and that they thought they could continue on, they're realizing now that they really -- is it beginning to slip through their fingers like as we saw with the german elections? >> i think that they are starting to feel a bit of existential angst thanks to donald trump who's just pointing out to them the realities of their economy. you know, germany in particular has this aging population, huge welfare state. it relies on russia a for its

gas. that's the dirty little secret -- david: incredible. in fact, they're spending more for their russian gas than they are giving to ukraine, which is ironic because essentially they're funding russia's war with ukraine while at the same time spending money on ukraine, not getting -- >> incredible, isn't is it? and even their vaunted car industry, their cars, today tried to sort of turn them into chinese cars, and china's just outstrip thed them, stole all their ip and is now the biggest car exporter in the world. so they've -- even in their best parts of their economy, they've screwed up. so i think this is a wake-up call for them. the election on the weekend, we'll just see, but i think that their so-called conservative party is the left of the rimos here. -- rinos here. what a they should do is ally, make a coalition with the afd, the very right-wing,

anti-immigration party -- david: the one that elon's been posting about. >> yeah. it doubled its vote to 20. david: the key issue, obviously, the economy's great concern. they don't like the fact all the billions they've been spending on green energy haven't worked out, rich, but immigration is really the issue. germany, for example, i think when merkel came in, 12% of population were migrants. now it's more like 20%. 40% of all the crime committed in germany is committed by these migrants. i mean, that's really pushing them over the edge. >> yeah. in trump's first term there were these two molds of western real zigs -- models. -- severallization. one was ang ya merkel -- angela merkel. and youd had trump saying, no if, this is all a mistake. and that merkel mold, we're seeing it crumble and get discredited before our eyes. and you're right, migration is a

huge part of it. the population in europe didn't want this, they didn't vote for it, but the elite imposed it. and because we have a more open, free democratic system is, our populace was able to change course quicker than -- david: well, and it's the still having effects in local elections here, miranda. we see the mayor with of new york announcing he's closing down one of the most ridiculous things i've seen in new york, putting up migrants many in one of the most expensive, exclusive hotels, the roosevelt hotel -- >> the waldorf wasn't available. david exactly. it's just crazy. is the pushback helping? do you think we have turned a corner here even in blue cities like new york? >> look, eric adams is taking credit for this, but it's pure and simple because donald trump closed the border, so the flood of migrants has stopped pretty much stone dead. so that's a good thing for new york. there are a lot of other hotels, though, that need to be emptied out. david: great to see you both. thank you very much.

we return in a moment.ligh ♪ my ambitions were to make it to the league— and get my money right. [young jayson] dribbles up the court. i saw more for myself. [young jayson] crosses. and sofi gives members confidence to see more for themselves. helping them earn and save more money for their ambitions. [young jayson] spins—shoots. believe you can get there with the next generation of banking. [young jayson] and the crowd goes wild! join the official bank of the nba. sofi. get your money right.

oh don't forget dinner with my boss. ah great. our new ultimate adhesive will save the day. new poligrip ultimate all in 1. get superhuman hold, food seal and comfort. if your mouth could talk it would ask for poligrip.

5k fun run! say hi to patty. celebrated social worker... whose coming in second? self-appointed social chair. hmmmm. potluck. kickball. “last call”. sign up for goat yoga! you name it, she's on it. and you have 47 emails to prove it. but her capacity to care is unmatched. you need patty. patty needs a retirement plan. work with principal so we can help you help patty with a retirement and benefits plan that's right for her. good night, guys! let our expertise round out yours. larry: that's it for "kudlow." thanks for watching, folks. ♪ if. ♪ . and unprecedented design no one ever had glass building this tall anywhere. >>s a revolution